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POL

POL is a Primitive Quendianroot signifying "large, big (strong)" or "can, have physical power and ability". At one time Tolkien seems to have hesitated about this sense of the root, writing: "[√POL] cannot refer to strength", since it is "[t]oo obvious a reminiscence of pollens"[note 1] and "also it does not account for poli- 'meal'". He therefore proposed the revised signification "'pound up', break small, reduced to powder etc". However, the original sense of POL ultimately seems to have been retained, and Tolkien instead proposed a change of the word pole ("meal"; cf. poli- above) to mŭle.[1]

In Parma Eldalamberon 17 (p. 115) "pol" appears to be cited as a Quenya word. However, it has been argued that: "[s]ince this would be the sole example of a monosyllabic Quenya adjective, it may be that Tolkien is here citing the root POL rather than a complete word."[2] The argument also gains plausibility as pol is listed among the roots in the "large & small" group.

POL is said to have been close in meaning to one of the senses of LER "am free to do, there being no obstacle", as the part "no obstacle" could sometimes signify "no physical obstacle".[3]

Notes

↑ Tolkien is apparently not referring to an Elvish word, but instead to the English word pollens (pollens does not occur in any Sindarin or Quenya compilations of words). This interpretations is perhaps corroborated by the alternative signification of the root POL as "break up small, reduced to power".